Color Plans: A Light Palette for the Common Areas

Homeowner and interior designer Carrie Hatfield is opting for different shades of Benjamin's Moore's white in the common areas.

Adilla Menayang, Assistant Digital Editor

So we've written about the Model ReModel home's cabinets, masonry, and pocket doors. You've seen their bare bones and flesh, but what will the final product look like? We chatted with homeowner Carrie Hatfield to find out her plans for paint color.

Whole house

"We’re going to keep it light and bright," Hatfield says. "I looked at Benjamin Moore's color of the year, Simply White. and thought it would be perfect. There's another color of theirs, White Dove, that I use all the time for my clients. I almost chose it for this home, but in the end, I felt that Simply White worked better with my accent colors."

The white will be on all the general trim, general wall, and ceiling. "I think it’s a cleaner look to do all three in the same color," Hatfield says. "Some people still prefer to use different colors for contrast, but it's more modern to keep it consistent. I like semi-gloss or satin on the trim, and flat on the wall. That gives it a little contrast." In this townhouse featured by Benjamin Moore, the Simply White walls and ceilings provide a canvas for the subtle beauty of the home's natural light.

To provide additional visual interest, Carrie is also mixing in some darker colors in various places in the house. "The pocket doors on the powder room and utility room will be Benjamin Moore's French Canvas in high gloss."

Front Room

"There’s a built-in in the living room that will be Hale Navy [color sample pictured above]," Hatfield continues. "It will be high gloss,oil base. The color works well with the furniture I have planned. The wall underneath the built-in will also be Hale Navy, but flat rather than gloss. That front room is awkwardly shaped for furniture and adding the color creates a focal point." To complement the deep hue of the Hale Navy selected, the Hatfield will decorate the room using lamps with brass shades and a white sofa. "The blue will give the white something to pop against," she says.